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The Corporation of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
By-law Number 09-75
BEING A BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH AN ACCESSIBILITY - CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS PROCEDURE
*********************************************************************WHEREAS Ontario Regulation 429/07, under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) has prescribed that Ontario municipalities must implement practices, procedures and forms to meet the Customer Service Standards as required under the above noted regulation and legislation;

NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley enacts as follows;

1. THAT the Accessibility - Customer Service Standards Procedure, as outlined in Schedule A, attached hereto and made part of this By-law be approved.

2. THAT the Administrator-Clerk shall be responsible for the administration of this By-law and will be accountable to the Council for its enforcement.

3. THAT this By-law shall not be interpreted to contradict or violate any statute or regulation of the Province of Ontario.

4. THAT this By-law shall come into force and take effect on the date of its passing.

Read a First and Second time this 14th day of December , 2009.
Read a Third time and finally Passed this 14th day of December , 2009.

Signed: Mayor Jim Pickard
Signed: Clerk Yvonne L. Robert

Schedule A to By-law 09-75
Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley Procedures

SUBJECT: Accessibility - Customer Service Standards Procedure

1.0 PURPOSE:

This document provides the practices, procedures and forms required to implement the Elizabethtown-Kitley Accessibility - Customer Service Standard Policy and to meet the Customer Service Standards as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 429/07 under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

2.0 SCOPE:

The Council of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley adopted the Accessibility - Customer Service Standards Policy at its regular Council Meeting on December 14th, 2009.

This policy applies to all Township employees, and persons acting on behalf of the Township.

3.0 DEFINITIONS:

"Alternative Service" means a service generally intended to be temporary that approaches the desired result until such time as the barrier is removed or an equivalent service is put in place;

"Contractor" means a company or person with a formal or informal contract to do a specific job on behalf of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley;

"Customer" means any person who receives or seeks to receive goods or services from a person or organization in the private, public and non-governmental sector. Customer includes persons who involuntarily receive goods or services imposed by an external authority;

"Disability" means the same as the definition of disability found in the Ontario Human Rights Code;

"Equivalent" means having similar effects or identical effects;

"Service Animal" means any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability as defined in Ontario Regulation 429/07;

"Support Person" means any person whether a paid professional, volunteer, family member or friend who accompanies a person with a disability in order to help with communications, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods or services.

PROCEDURES:

1.0 COMMUNICATION

The Municipality shall:

1.1 Communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability;

1.2 Train staff who communicate with customers on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;

1.3 Provide accessible notifications to all of our customers in the following formats upon request: email, large print, hard copy;

1.4 Answer any questions customers may have about the content of the communication in person, by telephone, email or in writing.

2.0 TELEPHONE SERVICES

The Municipality shall:

2.1 Provide accessible telephone service to our customers;

2.2 Train staff to communicate with customers over the telephone in clear and plain language and to speak clearly and slowly;

2.3 Offer to communicate with customers by email, in writing, in person, or by relay service if telephone communication is not suitable to their communication needs or is not available.

3.0 ASSISTIVE DEVICES

The Municipality shall:

3.1 Ensure that our staff are trained and familiar with various assistive devices that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our goods or services; and

3.2 That appropriate staff know how to use the following assistive devices available on Township premises for customers:

automatic doors

4.0 USE OF SERVICE ANIMALS & SUPPORT PERSONS

4.1 Service Animals - When a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the Municipality will permit the person to enter the premises with the animal and keep it with him or her, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises.

Should the service animal or guide dog be excluded by law from the premises, the Township will look to other available measures to enable the person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the Township's goods and services.

4.2 Support Person - When a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, they are permitted to enter the premises together and are not prevented from having access to each other while on the premises. The Township may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person while on its premises, but only if a support person is necessary to protect the health or safety of the person with a disability or the health or safety of others on the premises.

Where fees for goods and services are advertised or promoted by the Township, it will provide advance notice of the amount payable, if any, in respect of the support person.

5.0 NOTICE OF TEMPORARY DISRUPTION

5.1 Elizabethtown-Kitley Township will provide customers with notice in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in the facilities or services usually used by people with disabilities.

5.2 This notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

5.3 The notice will be placed at all public entrances and service counters on our premises, and where appropriate, on our website at www.elizabethtown-kitley.on.ca

5.4 If the disruption is anticipated, the Township will provide a reasonable amount of advance notice of the disruption. If the disruption is unexpected, notice will be provided as soon as possible

6.0 TRAINING

6.1 Training will be provided to staff based on the position's job requirements and probability of contact to the public.

6.2 Training will be provided to volunteers based on the level of contact with the public.

6.3 Staff will be trained on an ongoing basis when changes are made to the policies, practices and procedures.

6.4 The Administrator-Clerk will keep records of the training provided, including dates training is provided and the number of persons trained.

6.5 For every new hire, training will be provided within 6 months after a staff person commences their duties.

6.6 Levels of training will be customized into four categories:

Level 1 - Where customer service is a component of the staff/person's job description/contract or participate in the development of policies, practices or procedures.

Training will include the following:

The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;

Information on municipal policies, practices and procedures dealing with the AODA;

How to provide goods and services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;

How to interact and communicate with persons in a manner that takes into account their disabilities;

The process for people to provide feedback to the Township about its provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities, and how the Township responds to the feedback and takes action on any complaint;

How to interact with persons with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a guide dog, service animal or a support person to access goods and services;

How to use equipment or devices available on Township premises or provided by the Township that may help with the provision of goods and services;

What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing the Township's goods and services.

Level 2 - Where customer service is not the primary function however there is potential for coming in contact with the public or may participate in the development of policies, practices or procedures.

Training will include the following:

The purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;

Information on Township policies, practices and procedures dealing with the AODA;

How to interact and communicate with persons in a manner that takes into account their disabilities;

The process for people to provide feedback to the Township about its provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities, and how the Township responds to the feedback and takes action on any complaint;

What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing the Township's goods and services.

Level 3 - For those who do not normally interact with the public or participate in the development of policies, practices or procedures the following information will be provided.

Pamphlet: Understanding Accessible Customer Service

Pamphlet: Accessible Customer Service Policy

Customer Feedback Form

Customer Service Guidebook

Access to E-learning technology

Level 4 - For those individuals who volunteer or perform short-term assignments for the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley, e.g. Volunteers at Cultural Events, the following information will be provided.

Customer Service Guidebook and Pamphlets.

FEEDBACK PROCESS:

To assist the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley in ensuring that the delivery of goods and services to those with disabilities is provided in an effective and timely manner, the customer is invited to provide their feedback as follows:

The Clerk will respond either in writing, in person, email or telephone acknowledging receipt of feedback and will set out the action to be taken in response to any complaints. A response will be provided within twenty-one days.

The Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley is committed to developing customer service practices and procedures that respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. Therefore, changes may be made from time to time to the procedures resulting from the feedback received and improvements to customer service for people with disabilities.

Any Township practice or procedure that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed.

To assist the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley in ensuring that the delivery of goods and services to those with disabilities is provided in an effective and timely manner, the customer is invited to provide their feedback as follows:

The Clerk will respond either in writing, in person, email or telephone acknowledging receipt of feedback and will set out the action to be taken in response to any complaints. A response will be provided within twenty-one days.

Information about the feedback process will be posted at each Municipal facility and on the website www.ektwp.ca

When procuring goods, services and facilities, the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley will incorporate accessibility criteria and features. Where applicable, procurement documents will specify the desired accessibility criteria to be met and provide guidelines for the evaluation of proposals in respect of those criteria. Where it is impractical for the Township to incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring specific goods, services or facilities, the Township will provide a written explanation, on request.